With exhibits ranging from the massive and mighty Mamenchisaurus right down to the adorable little Mei Long dinosaur that's actually small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, the Dinosaurs Of China Exhibition is THE world-exclusive event of the summer. Spread over the two sites of Nottingham's Wollaton Hall and Lakeside Arts, the exhibition tells the story of how birds evolved from dinosaurs and features 26 specimens, 3D mounted skeletons, detailed replicas and original fossils.

TV presenter, renowned naturalist and lifelong dinosaur fan Chris Packham is supporting the event. "I'm tremendously excited, there are some remarkable specimens here," he told us confidentially. "They've done such a brilliant job to get these specimens on loan. For me, it's all about transforming the way people perceive these ancient animals and I think that many people still think they were relatively unintelligent, slow-moving, cold-blooded, lizard-like things. They were none of those things, they were rapid, warm-blooded, social and feathered in many instances. This is about the science, this is about the real deal. And we've learned so much more in recent years and this is a great opportunity for the public to have their impressions updated.

"I think Wollaton Hall as a venue is fantastic, I like the mix of the old and the new, I'm a museum buff and I had an opportunity to look at their natural history collection, it's a remarkable collection of bird taxidermy and other mammals too. And this is a brilliant modern exhibit, it's got a narrative to it, it's got an overall purpose and the purpose is that you come here and from utilising the space and the specimens that have come all the way from China, you leave understanding that in fact, dinosaurs aren't extinct, they live on in the form of birds which are flying around outside."

Famous for quoting Smiths lyrics whilst presenting Springwatch on television, could Chris quote any dinosaur-relevant Smiths lyrics? "Well - of course, there would be Panic if any of these things were recreated and they were rampaging around, no doubt about that," he quips brilliantly straight away. "And downstairs in Wollaton Hall, there's no doubt that if the Sinraptor got its way, then it would be a case of Big Mouth Strikes Again. I could go on forever but I won't."

Dr Adam Smith is the curator of the exhibition and the Nottingham Natural History Museum, and, with a lifelong interest in dinosaurs and fossils, he has even been involved in the naming of newly-discovered dinosaur species "I'm the main curator and there are two of us but it was actually Dr Wang Qi's idea to do this exhibition in the first place. He's a lecturer at Nottingham University in the architecture department and his background is in how museums use space to tell stories, so when he visited Wollaton Hall, he was surprised to find it's a Natural History Museum as well and it combines his two interests. So, five years ago, he came here and said, I've got this idea and through his connections in China, he was able to bring the Chinese dinosaurs and this is where we are now. Once the project started to get rolling, we worked together to select the objects and decided on the story we wanted to tell between us. It was quite complicated to organise but it's so rewarding to see the exhibition come together now."

A concerted effort has been made to keep the entrance fee to the Wollaton Hall exhibition as affordable as possible whilst entrance to the Lakeside Arts exhibits is completely free. Family-friendly events, talks and workshops will also be taking place in conjunction with the exhibition.

The Dinosaurs Of China Ground Shakers To Feathered Flyers World Exclusive Exhibition is at Wollaton Hall and Lakeside Arts right now until 29 October 2017. Full details can be found on the official Dinosaurs of China website

And you can see lots more photos of the exhibition in glorious technicolour on our Nottingham Confidential Facebook page

Monday, 19 June 2017

The Aegon Open Nottingham final ended with cordite hanging in the air following a shock victory in three sets by Donna Vekic over Johanna Konta.

This is the third season in the event’s present incarnation with Konta having made her debut here as a wild card in 2015 ranked 147 by the WTA. In between a semi-final in the Australian Open, a quarter-final in the Olympics and WTA premier wins have catapulted her both into the world’s top ten and - not least following an outspoken appearance on Jonathan Ross – established her as a celebrity.

Arriving now as World No. 8 and facing an unfamiliar list of entrants, Konta had made smooth progress through to the final with her play attracting plaudits for its power and fluency. Expectation therefore on Sunday for the first WTA win by a British Woman on home soil since Sue Barker in Brighton 36 years ago were high.

However rankings have generally provided an unreliable yardstick for progress in Nottingham and in the striking form of Donna Vekic, Konta faced an opponent for whom the word combustible hardly does justice.

The World No. 70’s semi-final victory over the fancied Lucie Safarova was a three-set thriller characterised by dazzling stroke play interspersed with high drama. The Croatian has a natural sense of theatre which forms an integral part of her game.

In her Saturday evening performance, this found expression in her battling an internal monologue and exhibiting an emotional range that ran from ‘Theda Bara as Medusa’ glares at officials, to full on lung-busting rants sending the crowd scurrying to their phones to consult the Croatian option on Google translate.

The stage for Sunday’s final was set suitably for a diva therefore with a picture perfect Centre Court and blistering sun substitutes for a proscenium arch and klieg lights.

At first, the action appeared to be sticking to a predictable script with Vekic losing her opening service game and her confidence struggling in the face of Konta’s rhythmic, baseline power game. The first set dashed by 6-2.

Runner-up Johanna Konta

The second set appeared to be heading the same way when Vekic suddenly assumed the role of heroic underdog. Her gunnery and radar at last began functioning with 110mph serves and huge groundstrokes finding the lines. Konta had no immediate answer. Consistency started to desert the Brit and despite some canny improvisation - a series of drop shots on key points left the Croat looking like a giraffe slipping on a banana skin – Vekic’s momentum took her through to a second set tie-break win.

The Brit seemed to recover early in the third set but ultimately it was her and not Vekic’s frustration which told; the latest in a series of poor line decisions – an unhappy feature of this tournament - leading to a heated haranguing of the umpire.

In a final twist, Vekic surrendered a 3-1 lead with a resurgent Konta breaking serve to first level then head into a 4-3 lead but Vekic kept her composure, broke back and served out at 6-5 bringing the curtain down on her second WTA win to generous applause.

This has been a pleasing week overall benefitting from – at last! - fine weather, a condensed format integrating several titles into seven days, high-profile players, entertaining finals and worthy champions. With attendances increasing, organisers would do well to secure further marquee names next year so as to guarantee the continuing success of Nottingham tennis well into the future.

Friday, 16 June 2017

What makes a classic film? It’s old. It’s in black and white. It’s in a foreign language. It’s critically claimed to be a classic. Oscar winner, for the first Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, La Strada ticks all the boxes.

Once you get past the dubbing, something that seemed to be quite commonplace for Italian films of a certain vintage, the question is has La Strada stood the test of time? Well there is no dressing up the story through modern eyes. The press release states “….Mesina plays Gelsomina, a naïve young woman sold by her desperate mother to boorish strongman Zampino (an immensely charismatic Anthony Quinn) to be both his wife and performance assistant as he tours central Italy.” I would call Gelsomina a vulnerable young woman who is sold into modern day slavery. Zampino is called a brute and he is one. He, as Gelsomina puts it “goes with women” and in her case whether she likes it or not. Gelsomina ends up with Stockholm Syndrome a condition where a hostage falls in love with their captor. However Gelsomina does ‘escape’ and finds a kindred spirit in the character called the Fool (Richard Basehart). Unfortunately Zampino finds Gelsomina, although there still might be hope for her as all three end up in the same travelling circus.

The love triangle yields one the films funniest moments. Having had ‘her head turned’ by the charismatic Fool a confused Gelsomina walks into a circus tent post. Perhaps this is symbolic as the love triangle ends in tragedy.

Time passes and on the road again there is a key moment in the film where Gelsomina has a psychotic break to which Zampino responds by saying “You’re not right up here.” This is rich coming from a man who amongst his sins has stolen from nuns who have gave him and his ‘wife’ shelter from a storm.

The film is all about Mesina whose excellent performance as Gelsomina is mesmerising even if at times Gelsomina seems a bit player in her own life.

This is a good-looking film beautifully restored with a beautiful score by Nino Rota. La Strada is indeed a classic. Is it a reminder that the world for women has not changed much? Unfortunately La Strada is indeed as relevant today as it was when it was made.

Wednesday, 14 June 2017

Following not only in those formidable funny footsteps of Barbra Streisand but also famously filling in for Sheridan Smith is a serious ask spectacularly answered by the phenomenal Natasha Barnes as leading lady Fanny Brice in this delectable Menier Chocolate Factory musical revival of Funny Girl.

Nailing those legendary power anthems and sensitive numbers alike, owning and stealing every scene, combining breathtaking energy and heartbreaking pathos it's an extraordinary tour de force performance/walk in the park by a girl on fire. Confident, commanding and comfortable, loveable and huggable, this Replacement is a natural and a star.

Oh and hey, Mr Arnstein! Get a load of the former Pop Idol-finalist turned smooth-with-all-the-moves matinee-idol-heart-throb Darius! Knocking our eyes out with Hollywood-movie star looks and crooning with a voice of honeyed-velvet, Darius is an irresistible revelation and a perfectly cast love-match, oozing old-school charm and seduction, oh boy, yes siree and no kidding.

This whole show is an inch-perfect production, gorgeously-costumed, lavish and swish,
featuring a stunning dual-aspect stage with stylishly-slinky scene transitions, a tip-top top-notch cast, and gloriously glamourous dancing girls and boys and favourite highlights include the hilariously-sexy dinner-and-chaise-longue seduction scene and the beautifully and thrillingly choreographed helluva par-tay back home at Henry Street.

A delicious distraction from recent sad events in this summer of uncertain times, allow a little extra time for pre-show bag searches and for the standing ovations at the end because sassy, spine-tingling and sensational, she bangs the whole shebang! Confidentially, the joke's on you if you don't go go go and grab yourself a ticket for the hot-dang funniest gal in town.

Funny Girl is at Nottingham Theatre Royal until June 17th. Full details and ticket prices can be found on the Theatre Royal website

Wednesday, 24 May 2017

Get ready for a monster of a summer in Nottingham when the once-in-a-lifetimeworld-exclusive Dinosaurs of China exhibition stalks into Wollaton Hall and Nottingham Lakeside Arts, grrrrr!

Featuring some of the largest dinosaur skeletons in existence and with a vast selection of genuine fossils and 3D skeletons that have never been seen outside of Asia before, the Dinosaurs of China – Ground Shakers to Feathered Flyers exhibition takes place from 1st July to 29th October at Wollaton Hall and Nottingham Lakeside Arts.

It's promising to be an amazing one-off event and highlights will include the show-stopping Mamenchisaurus – a dinosaur the same height as three double-decker buses and theGigantoraptor, the largest feathered dinosaur in the world. The 26 exhibits have been hand-picked to take visitors on a journey through time and show how dinosaurs evolved from ground shakers of the past to the birds we see in our gardens today. As well as 3D skeletons there will be replica and original fossils on display including two type specimens, regarded as the best examples of those species anywhere in the world.

Mamenchisaurus

The event will span two family-friendly sites with Wollaton Hall hosting the main exhibition over the summer holidays. The second exhibition at Nottingham University’s public arts centre, Lakeside Arts will welcome the Alxasaurus and the Dilophosaurus which together with the university's own Life Science collection will explore how dinosaurs may have looked.

Dr Adam Smith, Curator at the Nottingham Natural History Museum, Wollaton Hall said, “The exhibition is a one-time opportunity to see some of the world’s best-preserved dinosaur discoveries, and the tallest dinosaur skeleton ever seen in the UK. Many of the fossils on display have only been discovered in the past 20 years and one was named just two years ago.”

The exhibition has also attracted support from respected TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham. With a lifelong passion for palaeontology, he's keen to help tell the story of dinosaur evolution through the exhibits on show. Chris said, “The way dinosaurs have evolved is truly fascinating and I’m passionate about spreading the message far and wide. Dinosaurs have long been perceived as huge scaly beasts but now we’re finding out that this was only part of the story. This exhibition provides a real once in a lifetime chance to see some of the most exciting dinosaur discoveries in recent years and learn more about how dinosaurs actually looked when they roamed the Earth.”

Dinosaurs of China is a collaboration between Nottingham City Council and the University of Nottingham who have worked closely with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing and the Long Hao Institute of Geology and Paleontology Inner Mongolia.

Tickets for the Wollaton Hall exhibition are now on sale. Prices are £7.70 for an adult and £5.50 for a child. There is a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) for £22.00. Children under five go free and the event welcomes school parties at a reduced price. Entry to the Lakeside exhibition is free of charge.

The Vamps were joined on the tour by Sabrina Carpenter, the American actress and singer-songwriter. Additional support was provided by UK band New Hope Club and LA band The Tide, both of whom the Vamps have signed to their very own label, Steady Records.And you can see lots more photos of the gigs in glorious Technicolor on our Facebook page here

Friday, 5 May 2017

Add some sparkle to your Sunday night in Nottingham with a FREE glass of Prosecco and bar snacks courtesy of TV chef Gino D'Acampo at Italian restaurant Piccolino!
Gino D'Acampo will be appearing in his live Italian Escape show at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham on Sunday 7th May and ahead of the show, guests are invited to 'Gino Aperitivo Time' at Piccolino from 4pm to 6.30pm to enjoy a complimentary glass of Prosecco and Italian nibbles known as Cicchetti - and the freebies are available to everyone whether they are going to see the show or not.

There will also be the chance for guests to win a book signed by the famous chef.

The show will feature signature recipes from all corners of Gino’s beloved Italy and the fun-loving chef promises lots of surprises and audience participation.

Commenting on the tour, Gino said: “I am very excited and can’t wait to get out there and share some
fantastic food and cooking tips from my home country. It’s going to be Gino - Live and unleashed!”

Gino's Italian Escape Live is at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall Sunday May 7th. Full details are available on the Royal Concert Hall website here

More information about Piccolino restaurant is available on their website here

Wednesday, 22 March 2017

Hollywood comes to Nottingham this November when acting legends Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal hit the Theatre Royal stage in the critically-acclaimed play Love Letters.

The play sees the reunion of the two actors who first appeared together in the Oscar-winning 1970 film Love Story which spawned the famous quote, "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

After training as a professional boxer and working as a stuntman, Ryan O' Neal's first major television role was in Peyton Place and he was chosen from more than 300 hopefuls for the role of Oliver Barrett in Love Story opposite Ali MacGraw who began her career as an assistant on Harper's Bazaar and whose acting career began with the leading role of Brenda Patamkin in Goodbye Columbus.

Love Story was a huge success and landed O’Neal both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor and Ali MacGraw an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe award.

After Love Story Ryan O'Neal starred in the comedy What's Up Doc with Barbra Streisand and the Oscar-winning Paper Moon with his daughter Tatum whilst Ali MacGraw starred in The Getaway with Steve McQueen.

‘I am absolutely thrilled to be bringing two such huge stars to the UK in this wonderful and moving play. Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal are true Hollywood legends and it will be very special indeed to see them live on stage together' said Love Letters producer David Ian.

Transferring to the UK following a Broadway run and a sell-out US Tour, celebrated playwright A.R. Gurney’s enduring romance tells the story of a love affair lasting over 50 years. Andrew Makepeace Ladd III (O’Neal) wrote his first letter to Melissa Gardner (MacGraw) to tell her she looked like a lost princess when they were both seven years old. Through personal triumphs, despair, wars, marriages, children and careers, they poured out their heartfelt secrets to each other defying a fate that schemed to keep them apart.

Love Letters is at Nottingham Theatre Royal from Monday 27th November to 2nd December 2017. Ticket prices, times and booking details are available on the Theatre Royal website here

Thursday, 12 January 2017

Officially beginning on Saturday 28 January, celebrate the Year of the Rooster in 2017 with traditional and contemporary Chinese cultural events at Nottingham Lakeside Arts which people of all ages can participate in and enjoy.

Led by Dragon Dancers and in a spectacular world premiere, Nottingham-based digital artist Barret Hodgson will illuminate Nottingham University's iconic Trent Building with Jixiang (Propitious) a visual feast of digital projections which capture contemporary and traditional elements of Chinese art and culture. There will be six different opportunities to see the projection over the course of two nights on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 January. The event is FREE but booking is essential.

Visitors to Lakeside Arts can also enjoy a FREE photography exhibition in the Wallner Gallery by Yuan-Hsiung Wang and Xue Qian of traditional artisans in South West China ahead of the New Year projections. And there is the opportunity to create your own piece of art in the Chinese Brush Painting For Beginners workshops with visiting artist from Ningbo Jiang Hongsheng.

For more details and dates of events, please visit Lakeside’s website here or call the Box Office on 0115 846 7777

Tuesday, 27 September 2016

Fantastic and fabulous events will be taking place around Nottingham on Saturday October 1st and most of them are FREE!

From pizza and doughnut eating contests to fudge tastings and treasure hunts with fire-eaters, singing princesses and a Bubbleologist thrown in for good measure, the It’s In Nottingham Independent Festival, organised by the Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID), will be taking over the city with five stages in different locations across the city centre with free entertainment happening from 10.00am until 4.30pm. There will also be pop up events taking place at various independent shops, bars and businesses around the city for people to enjoy as well as some exclusive offers.

Below is a selection of the events that will be on offer. There will be even more happening on the day on the five stages set up around the city: one on King Street, one on Chapel Bar, one on Carlton Square, one on Pelham Street and one on Middle Pavement.

Death By Pizza - Suede
Location: Carlton Square Stage
Time: 14:00 - 14:30
Price: Free
Details: How fast can you eat a 14-inch spicy pizza? Find out at the Suede pizza eating contest! The participant with the fastest time wins one month of free pizza from Suede! Turn up to the Carlton Square stage to be in with a chance of being one of the lucky few to enter.

The Public Vs The Doughnuts - The Nottingham Doughnut Co.
Location: Carlton Square Stage
Time: 14:00
Price: Free
Details: Visit the Notingham Doughnut company Facebook page to enter and you could be one of the lucky four that will battle it out for the title of Doughnut champion. The winner will be the quickest to eat 20 glazed doughnuts and will win one of the Nottingham Doughnut Co.'s famous 14" doughnuts.

Free Fudge Tasting Session - The Treat Kitchen
Location: The Treat Kitchen
Time: All day
Price: Free
Details: The Treat Kitchen would like to invite the people of Nottingham to come in and try their signature cream and butter fudge. All The Treat Kitchen’s fudge is made on site in the Nottingham store. Plenty of flavours to choose from such as salted caramel, cherry Bakewell and chocolate orange.The Flying Horse Treasure hunt - Flying Horse Walk
Location: Flying Horse Walk
Time: 9:00 - 17:30
Price: Free
Details: Tell us how many pewter horses with a purple ribbon round their necks you can find hidden in the windows of our great independent shops and be in with a chance of winning an exclusive goody bag full of surprises provided by the businesses taking part.

FREE Bare minerals mini makeup and complimentary drink at the cocktail bar - Beauty Temple
Location: Beauty Temple
Time: All day
Price: Free
Details: Call and book for this amazing experience on the 1st October-places are limited so book quickly.

Pancake Party Family Morning - Cafe Sobar
Location: Cafe Sobar
Time: 9:30 - 11:30
Price: Free
Details: Children and their families can make their own crazy pancakes, prizes will be awarded for the ‘wackiest’ pancakes.

Fatboy Lamzac Demonstration - The Worm That Turned
Location: Chapel Bar Stage
Time: 14:10 or 15:25
Price: Free
Details: Try out an ingenious and gorgeously comfortable new outdoor inflatable seat, seen at festivals throughout the UK this summer - The Lamzac as demonstrated by Nottingham’s only stockist; The Worm that Turned (on Derby Road). Get expert tips on the best way to inflate without looking like an idiot, plus special spot prizes for lucky attendees!

Batik Demonstration with Louise from Missmac Designs - Focus Gallery
Location: Focus Gallery
Time: 1:30 - 3:30
Price: Free
Details: Come and see how Batiks are created using wax resist techniques with traditional tools and techniques. Creating beautiful colours and designs from an age old process in a contemporary style.

The National Videogame Arcade Presents "Mario The Musical" Medley - NVA
Location: King Street Stage
Time: 12:30
Price: Free
Details: The world’s most famous Italian plumber and friends take to the stage to perform songs from their hit show Mario the Musical, featuring all your favourite characters.

Meet the Maker ‘Be Independent, Be Creative’ - Made in Nottingham
Location: Upper mall, intu Broadmarsh
Time: 10:30 - 16:00
Price: Free
Details: a day of events, info, advice and ‘have a go’ workshops with the designer makers in the Made in Nottingham artisan collective and other Indie Retailers.

Purple Dot Day - Derby Road independents
Location: Derby Road
Time: All day
Price: Free
Details: Derby Road businesses have an event, offer or promotion on the day. Each offer will be different and full details can be found inside. Look out for the Purple Dot Day posters in windows and purple balloons to find out what's in store.

Free Cookie Day - CookieShake
Location: CookieShake
Time: From midday
Price: Free
Details: Cookieshake will be giving away a total of 200 free cookies, 1 with every purchase, from midday.

DUKKI Dialect Treasure Hunt - DUKKI Designs
Location: Citywide
Time: 10:00 onwards
Price: £2 per person or £6 for a team of 4
Details: Discover the landmarks of Nottingham, and the way we talk, on this journey through Nottingham city centre, starting from the Dukki Shop in the Broadmarsh Shopping centre, and ending at the DUKKI shop on St James’ Street. Prizes will be won for the most correctly answered questions, so take your time! Winner will be announced via social media, once all teams have returned their answer sheets. The route involves some hills, but is wheel chair friendly.